In my childhood, my parents instilled in us the value of hard work. “Nothing comes for free in life,” I learned. So I played and tinkered around in our garment shop. Later, I was assigned appropriate tasks. In my teens, I was given more responsibilities in the business amidst my studies. \

When I took my doctorate studies in my 30s, all the more I realized that there are no shortcuts in life. Studying, working, and raising kids at the same time were not easy! Now, as parent of teens, we tell them to use their God-given talents and connect their career path to their life mission. We talk about hard work and purpose, and giving their best.

As my son starts a new chapter in college, I reflect on how crucial it is to walk our talk. How I was raised affected my work ethics, the way I use my talents and gifts, and how I fulfill my life mission. I pray that we are setting good examples for our children in speech and action. 

Ichel Alignay (michele.lojpastoralcare@gmail.com)

reflect

Your work is not just a job where you earn money to make a living. Your job is your sacred mission where you fulfill God’s purpose for you in your daily life. 

Lord, may I keep walking my talk so I can connect my life and those of others to Your sacred mission. 

Blessed Thomas Percy, pray for us.

Orthodoxy—“right glory”—is essential to every faithful preacher and teacher. Without it, there is a real danger of leading the audience astray—and woe to the teacher who misguides even one of Jesus’ little ones! As we are formed in the proclamation of the Gospel, let us remain steadfast, always guided by Scripture, the traditions of the Church, and her Magisterium. May we fervently pray that we will teach nothing less than the truth the Church upholds.

⁶ We instruct you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to shun any brother who walks in a disorderly way and not according to the tradition they received from us. ⁷ For you know how one must imitate us. For we did not act in a disorderly way among you, ⁸ nor did we eat food received free from anyone. On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night and day we worked, so as not to burden any of you. ⁹ Not that we do not have the right. Rather, we wanted to present ourselves as a model for you, so that you might imitate us. ¹⁰ In fact, when we were with you, we instructed you that if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat. ¹⁶ May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. ¹⁷ This greeting is in my own hand, Paul’s. This is the sign in every letter; this is how I write. ¹⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you.

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 128:1-2, 4-5

R: Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

¹ Blessed are you who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways! ² For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork; blessed shall you be, and favored. (R) ⁴ Behold, thus is the man blessed who fears the Lord. ⁵ The Lord bless you from Zion: may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. (R)

Gospel | Matthew 23:27-32

Jesus continues to denounce hypocrisy, both in the religious and secular spheres of His time. It is a sin ever lurking, ready to ensnare us if we are not vigilant. We must guard our hearts against its grip, ensuring that our actions align with our faith. Let us pray for the grace to live pure and holy lives, always practicing what we preach.

Gospel Acclamation

Whoever keeps the word of Christ, the love of God is truly perfected in him.

²⁷ Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth. ²⁸ Even so, on the outside you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing. ²⁹ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the memorials of the righteous, ³⁰ and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have joined them in shedding the prophets’ blood.’ ³¹ Thus you bear witness against yourselves that you are the children of those who murdered the prophets; 32 now fill up what your ancestors measured out!”

Read the Bible in one year! Read PSALMS 6 - 10 today.

Jesus delivers one of His most powerful rebukes: “You are like whitewashed tombs . . . beautiful on the outside but full of bones and filth within.” He is not speaking to notorious sinners, but to religious leaders—those who claim righteousness while silencing truth.

This warning echoes today. Around the world, modern prophets—those who speak God’s truth to power—are often rejected, ridiculed, or even killed. One such prophet is St. Oscar Romero, Archbishop of San Salvador. He preached justice and peace in the midst of a violent regime, condemning oppression and defending the dignity of the poor. For this, he was assassinated while celebrating Mass in 1980. His blood became the seed of faith in his nation.

Romero once said, “If they kill me, I shall rise again in the Salvadoran people.” Like the prophets of old, he lived not for applause but for truth. He refused to be a whitewashed tomb—he preferred to be an open heart, filled with compassion and courage.

The Gospel calls us to reject hypocrisy and live with integrity. It challenges us to examine our lives: do we honor prophets only in memory while ignoring the living cries of the poor, the unborn, the earth, and those on the margins? Do we silence truth to preserve comfort?

To be prophets today means to speak with love, even when truth is unpopular—standing with the vulnerable even when it costs us and living authentically, inside and out. We may not all preach in cathedrals, but we can be prophetic in classrooms, offices, parishes, and homes—wherever we live truthfully and love boldly.

Let us not decorate tombs—we are called to rise and speak. Like St. Oscar Romero, let our lives be a sermon the world cannot silence. 

Fr. Joel Camaya, SDB 

reflection question

In what small but real ways can you live as a prophet of truth, compassion, and courage in your daily life?

Lord, give me a heart like Yours—bold in truth, tender in love, and faithful even when the world rejects me. Amen.

Today, I pray for: _______________________________________